Comments on: Surprised by vinegar, again!

By: Nan

Nan — Mon, 13 Jul 2009 16:41:24 +0000

I never use those softening cloth, and I like the idea of vinegar in the wash – thanks a lot for a good idea!

By: deirdre

deirdre — Tue, 07 Jul 2009 19:35:32 +0000

yay vinegar for its fabric-softening properties too! someone told me it was a good clothing de-wrinkler, and i tried pouring a half a cup in with the wash and, whaddayaknow, no more wrinkles.

i’ve been avoiding fabric softeners and dryer sheets since discovering they include these chemicals (as well as clog up the lint tray):

* Benzyl acetate: Linked to pancreatic cancer

* Benzyl Alcohol: Upper respiratory tract irritant

* Ethanol: On the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Hazardous Waste list and can cause central nervous system disorders

* Limonene: Known carcinogen

* A-Terpineol: Can cause respiratory problems, including fatal edema, and central nervous system damage

* Ethyl Acetate: A narcotic on the EPA’s Hazardous Waste list

* Camphor: Causes central nervous system disorders

* Chloroform: Neurotoxic, anesthetic and carcinogenic

* Linalool: A narcotic that causes central nervous system disorders

* Pentane: A chemical known to be harmful if inhale

By: bethany

bethany — Tue, 07 Jul 2009 00:00:40 +0000

I pour white vinegar through my coffee machine regularly — followed by one or two rounds of water to rinse it out. It cleans it out really well and then coffee tastes better. I reuse this vinegar more than once and it seems an okay idea.

I’ve used toothpaste to get stains off of our wood table too. Also baking soda. Once we were at a rental house and I got a stain off of something by using salt as an abrasive since it was the only thing there to try.

My cousin was just telling me that one way to keep a patio clear of moss and whatnot is to rent or buy a power washer and use it regularly. I was thinking of trying that on my moss-filled patio, but I fear I might need to refill the cracks in the bricks right away afterwards coz I’ve let it go so long! I’ll definitely try the vinegar idea there, thanks!

By: meera

meera — Sun, 05 Jul 2009 06:06:12 +0000

One more use for vinegar – wow! We use it for cleaning – all basic stuff – use can add various oils / scents if you want to change the smell.

But, my hubby has a serious ear infection which after many surgeries has not gotten fixed completely. To keep it under check his DOCTORS has asked him to use vinegar (mixed with alcohol or boric acid) to clean out his ear! This is not some alternate med person – regular MD with Stanford affiliations. Obviously, please DO NOT try this on your own without proper consultation.

By: Nan

Nan — Fri, 03 Jul 2009 17:32:40 +0000

My mother used a vinegar/baking soda/ammonia solution to clean everything in our house during the 1950s when I was growing up. I really liked mixing them. The vinegar and baking soda would fizz, and would die down when I put in the ammonia. I’m sure Mother learned it from her mother, who learned it from her mother, etc. All these new cleaning products like Fantastic didn’t exist then; people used what they knew worked, and vinegar was certainly known as an all-purpose agent. But I certainly didn’t know it could be used for cleaning out drains and killing weeds!
Buy the cheapest vinegar you can – white, in a big gallon jug. Other vinegars – red wine, and all the expensive named vinegars – are for eating and cooking – never use them for cleaning purposes, and never use the all-purpose cleaning white vinegar for eating and cooking – go for the good stuff for your table, and use the cheap stuff to clean and kill. Thanks Gillian for telling everyone about vinegar. It is so cheap and easy, and versatile, hopefully people will stop buying all those poison cleaners, and save their money, keep their house safer and stop polluting.

By: Heidi @ Frugal Girls!

Heidi @ Frugal Girls! — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 17:50:21 +0000

I love using baking soda to make Homemade 409 & Shout!

Here are the recipes…
http://www.thefrugalgirls.com/2009/02/homemade-409.html

By: Heidi @ Frugal Girls!

Heidi @ Frugal Girls! — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 17:49:15 +0000

I love using baking soda to make homemade 409 & Shout! Here are the recipes…

http://www.thefrugalgirls.com/2009/02/homemade-409.html